Instacart, the North American leader in online grocery, today announced new safety measures and resources to support its shopper community. The new shopper in-app safety hub furthers Instacart’s commitment to shopper safety, offering additional tools and resources to protect shoppers while they’re picking and delivering orders. As part of this hub, Instacart is partnering with ADT to connect shoppers to emergency services in-app, providing urgent assistance in times of need. Instacart is also launching a new shopper identity verification feature, an updated contactless delivery offering, and additional perks for shoppers, including discounts on cell phone coverage and roadside assistance.
“Shoppers play an important role, helping deliver customers their groceries and goods during this time of need. The health and safety of the entire shopper community remains a top priority and it’s critically important we continue to evolve our offerings for shoppers to ensure they have the personal protective equipment and resources they need inside and outside of the aisles to help keep them safe. These new features, safety tools, and resources we’re introducing today will help ensure shoppers have the support they need both during and long after the COVID-19 crisis,” said Nilam Ganenthiran, President of Instacart.
In-App Safety Hub and New Emergency Assistance
Instacart’s new in-app safety hub makes it easier for shoppers to navigate the safety tools, resources, and guidelines available to them in the Shopper app. Offered in partnership with ADT, the new “Get emergency assistance” button will connect shoppers with emergency services and share data such as GPS location to help them get aid when they need it.
“The ADT mobile safety solution integrates seamlessly into the Instacart Shopper app, providing peace of mind and safety to on-the-go shoppers and their customers,” said Leah Page, Vice President of Mobile Security and Strategic Projects at ADT. “At ADT, we believe everyone has the right to feel safe, and through this partnership, we’re proud to help protect Instacart’s shopper community.”
In addition to the new “Get emergency assistance” button, shoppers can more easily report an issue that may occur while shopping or delivering via the incident reporting functionality from the safety hub. Shoppers can also access resources about third-party safety organizations, shopper injury protection, and guidelines on shopping and delivering safely. The new in-app safety hub is available for all shoppers beginning today, with features rolling out over the coming weeks.
Shopper Identity Verification
Instacart is also furthering its investment in keeping shoppers’ accounts secure. The company is introducing shopper ID verification, a new authentication method to help make sure shoppers’ accounts are valid. While shopping or delivering a batch, shoppers will be periodically prompted to take a photo of themselves, which will ensure that the person using the account is the same individual whose photo is on file. By prompting authentication in this way, Instacart is preventing shoppers’ accounts from being used by unauthorized individuals and keeping the entire Instacart platform more secure.
Safer and More Convenient Alcohol and Prescription Delivery
Instacart is continuing to focus on safer and more convenient delivery options for both shoppers and customers. Instacart is introducing an updated contactless delivery feature that will no longer require shoppers to scan a customer’s ID upon delivering alcohol or prescriptions. The shopper can simply review the ID and signature that the customer will scan from their own device, and verify that the ID matches the customer from a safe, six-foot distance. This new delivery option is rolling out to all customers and shoppers in the coming weeks.
New Perks for the Shopper Community
Instacart is continuing to invest in perks that benefit shoppers beyond COVID-19, including new partnerships with Sprint, CarAdvise, and Good Sam. These new offerings will provide shoppers with savings on cell phone coverage, automobile maintenance, and roadside assistance, helping shoppers get discounts on the purchases that mean the most to them and making sure they stay safe and connected. Each of these new perks is being offered based on direct feedback from Instacart shoppers, and will help shoppers save money on some of their most frequent expenses.
Over the last few months, Instacart has introduced more than 15 new product features, new health guidelines, contactless delivery options, shopper bonuses, and sick leave policies, as well as pay for those affected by COVID-19. The company started this commitment ahead of the COVID-19 outbreak in North America and is continuing to provide shoppers with updates to ensure a safe and reliable experience. For more information about how Instacart is supporting all members of its community in the wake of COVID-19, please visit Instacart’s COVID-19 Resource Center.
